


Fairy Tale Curse

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Curse Breaking, Fairy Tale Elements, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Post-Episode: s01e18 Agony of a Witch, Speculation, Spoilers for Episode: s01e18 Agony of a Witch, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: Of course, it was one of the oldest tricks in the books. Love was what it took to break the curse. Not from just one side, but from loving each other.It was so sweet Eda almost wanted to hurl.
Relationships: Eda Clawthorne & King, Eda Clawthorne & King & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, King & Luz Noceda
Comments: 13
Kudos: 170
Collections: All things Disney





	Fairy Tale Curse

**Author's Note:**

> At the point of this posting, 'Young Blood, Old Souls' will not air for another 24 hours. We wrote one fic this morning, [In the House](https://ickaimp.tumblr.com/post/627704520118566912/the-owl-house-in-the-house#notes), and then this idea hit about an hour later, and a third fic, [Plan Q](https://ickaimp.tumblr.com/post/627754704150167552/owl-house-plan-q), after we posted this story.
> 
> This is us wondering what would happen if the curse had a 'Beauty and the Beast' type of clause to it.

* * *

The worst part about the curse was that Eda was still partially aware. 

She never remembered what had happened once the curse had receded she was herself again, only remembering snatches and snippets later on in her dreams. But she was still there while the curse was wreaking havoc on her body, her mind, and her magic. 

For instance right now, she knew she was hurt, sliding across the floor of the throne room of the Emperor, his cold eyes watching them from his seat. She came to a stop, sprawled on her side from where she’d been knocked away by one of Luz’s plant spells, one wing dislocated and a gash on her side from one of Lilith’s spells that she’d taken while protecting Luz, who didn’t even know any shield spells. 

If she ever got out of this, that was going to be one of the first things she taught Luz. The girl was far too vulnerable. Even though, like most teenagers, she thought she wasn’t. 

“EDA!” Luz screamed, running over towards her. 

Eda hissed in return, trying to warn Luz away. She was dangerous like this, too big, too strong, too full of teeth and claws. It’d be entirely too easy to hurt anyone like this. To hurt Luz, or King. Better to frighten them away so she didn’t hurt them. 

She also didn’t know if the emperor could make her a puppet like the guards that lined the rooms, but she also knew that she didn’t want to find out. The curse was horrible, but at least she had some limited control over herself like this. 

The hiss came out weaker than she would have liked, barely a rasp, and Luz ignored it, pressing against Eda’s side. “You’re gonna be okay.” Luz whimpered, and Eda didn’t have to turn her head to know that Luz was crying. Stupid move, to be crying in the middle of a fight, better to save that until later. 

Eda tried to stand up, get between Luz and Lilith if she needed to. She didn’t trust her sister not to hurt Luz, quite the opposite. One of her legs buckled under her, unable to hold her weight, and another followed suit.

Okay, so maybe she was hurt a little more than she’d thought. 

A pained whine came from her lips, Luz’s hands stroking her shoulder, trying to soothe her. Eda lay back down, curling a wing protectively around Luz, hiding her from Lilith’s view. King ducked under the feathers, cuddling in close as well. “Don’t worry, Eda. We got you.” King assured her, even has his voice cracked and broke. 

They didn’t have her. And Eda could see Lilith walking closer, her staff raised, lips twisted in a parody of a smile. 

“I love you, Eda.” Luz whispered, her voice muffled by Eda’s feathers. “You’re my family.” 

“And mine.” King echoed, his tiny little paws pressing against her ribs. 

“ _Family?!_ ” Lilith laughed, sharp and mocking. “You’re not her family. I’m her family. You’re not blood related, not even the same species, _human child_. You’re nothing but a problem, getting in her way.” 

Eda snarled back, snapping her jaws in Lilith’s direction. They were more Eda’s family than Lilith was. Eda hadn’t laughed or cared nearly as much than before they came bumbling into her lives. 

She’d never wanted friends, they never stuck around when things got rough. Having Owlbert as companionship had been enough. 

And then she’d gotten King, the tiny adorable tyrant, who stuck by her, her obnoxious best friend. She’d never wanted a kid either, but some how she’d ended up with a good one, one so bright, enthusiastic, and full of love that it sometimes hurt Eda’s jaded cynical eyes to look at her. 

“I’m so sorry.” Luz pressing her face against Eda’s neck, dripping tears on her feathers. “We tried.”

They did try. They tried harder than anyone else had for Eda. 

She’d thought she’d been happy by herself. 

She was wrong. 

If it came down to the choice between their lives and hers, then there was no choice, no contest. She loved them too much. 

They were _her family_.

Eda roared, trying to snap at Lilith, which turned into a gasp as she felt her guts start to change around and move. There was a feeling of weight dropping away, something snapping and breaking, then of her shrinking down. 

Awareness flickered and faded, coming back again stronger than ever. She was on a stone floor, the last thing she remembered fighting Lilith, find out who had cursed her. Saving Luz and transforming into her cursed form-

Luz.

She snapped her eyes open find Luz and King on her lap, arms wrapped around her waist, their eyes screwed shut. Her very witchy lap, no feathers or any sign of the curse anywhere on her. The curse was broken. 

Of course, it was one of the oldest tricks in the books. Love was what it took to break the curse. Not from just one side, but from loving each other. 

It was so sweet she almost wanted to hurl. 

“Wha-?” Lilith sputtered. “No! Impossible! It’s impossible! The Emperor said the curse could only be broken by family! By **me**!”

“Heh.” Eda laughed weakly, stroking the back of both Luz and King’s heads, the two of them looking up at her with wide tearstained eyes that went wide in awe. She gave them a small smile, then silently motioned them to get off her lap so she could stand up. 

They did, Eda finding her feet and stretching her arms over her head, something popping in her back. She could feel her magic flowing through her in a rush. She’d forgotten how nice it felt, having gotten so used to just having bare scraps of magic at her fingertips. 

“We may have the same parents and have grown up together.” Eda said, holding her hand out. Owlbert rocketing through a castle wall and smacking into her hand. They had a metal band around the palisman, but a flick of her finger was all it took to break off, Owlbert’s eyes relieved and happy to see her. 

Luz handed Eda her staff, and she screwed Owlbert onto it, feeling it thrum with energy, no longer limited by her magical reservoirs being eaten by the curse. Eda gave the staff a quick twirl, feeling the differences in her magic, before pointing the staff at Lilith with a scowl. 

“-But that doesn’t make us family.” 

“What?” Lilith gasped, backing up a step as Eda’s aura flared, the blood curdling screech of a barn owl echoing through the room like the lament of a banshee’s scream. Her golden aura hit the ceiling, then opened its wings, smashing through the emperor’s guard who fell down like so many stringless puppets, an angry fiery pissed off owl staring down over the room. 

Luz and King stayed within the projection of her aura, enveloped and untouched. 

“Sister-” Lilith whispered, holding a pleading hand out towards Eda. 

“You don’t get to call me that.” Eda stated, aware of the way her voice came out flat. She was angry, so angry at Lilith, so angry she was numb. She’d deal with those emotions once they got home. “You lost the right to call me that the night you snuck into my bedroom and cursed me _as I was sleeping_.”

“But then.” She tore her gaze from the pale shaking figure of the person who had once been her sister to the cold glowing green eyes of the Emperor. “Someone had to give her the curse in the first place. With the promise of advancing through the ranks.”

The horned helm tilted its head to the side in acknowledgment. The Emperor had always hated Wild Magic, and Eda as as wild as they came. 

“Oh, Emperor.” Eda shook her head, then focused brought her staff down with one hand, her aura flaring up even larger, the giant glowing wings ripping through enchantments and stone, bringing the walls and ceiling down around them. “Wild magic was never meant to be tamed.” 

“Quickly now.” She hissed, grabbing Luz’s arm. Owlbert stretched his wings out, and they all hopped on to the staff, King sandwiched between Luz and Eda. 

“I am Eda the Owl Lady!” Eda cackled as they flew out of the now open dome of the castle. “The Strongest Witch in the Boiling Isles! **And You Can’t Tame Me.** ”

It was as good as a declaration of war, but then she supposed that she’d been in the middle of one since she’d woken up one night as a teenager, the glint of round eyes staring at her before the transformations begun. 

She waited until they were high up in the sky with no sign of anyone chasing them to speak. “Everyone alright?” She asked.

They’d just all drawn big honking targets on their back, and they’d need to prepare for having the Emperor's gaze on them. She’d need to start teaching Luz how to fight, things like shield spells. All of Luz’s friends could probably use that, if they were going to continue to hang around the trouble magnet. 

She’d need to talk to Hooty too, let him know to expect more invaders. Increase security and cloaking spells around the house. 

“EDA!” King sobbed, clinging to her waist, jolting her out of her thoughts. 

“If you get snot all over my dress, you’re cleaning it off.” Eda informed him, Luz making a slightly hysterical hiccuping sound. 

“I’m just glad that you’re alright, Eda.” Luz’s voice cracked as she squeezed her tightly for a moment, face pressed against Eda’s shoulder. 

“Me too, kiddo.” Eda murmured. She’d begun to think that nothing could ever break that curse, just always slowly losing herself bit by bit, but these two knuckleheads had done it. 

She’d always thought of family as a bit of a trap, like a manacle you couldn’t get rid of attached to your leg. 

But here and now, with the wind in her hair and her family pressed against her, she’d never felt more free. 

-fin-

**Author's Note:**

> Update: Holy shit, that season finale. Did not expect the whole 'I love you' scene to actually happen. O_O
> 
> You can also find me at [ickaimp.tumblr.com](http://ickaimp.tumblr.com). I don’t post a lot, it’s short fics we don’t post here, with the occasional strange photo.


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